rain drops

pillow grey detail 4, originally uploaded by Kim's Suitcase.

word on the street

calendar, originally uploaded by Kim's Suitcase.

this sunday in queens park here in toronto is the word on the street festival, a very fun fall literary event.

please come by and see me. my friend james and i will be featuring our new calendar for 2008, this year they are mini sized and i think super cute!

we will be under james' banner 2x4 to the forehead F1 in the fringe beat section, the toronto star usually features the festival with a map and such.

hope to see you there.

Virginia and Clyde

Virginia and Clyde, originally uploaded by Kim's Suitcase.

park

park, originally uploaded by Kim's Suitcase.

i like the park!

dog fight

your the kind of person that makes people lose good dogs

i am coming out of the dollar store
where i went to get a few things to decompress from computer difficulties

i see a man with high piles hair, like a coil a calabrese sausage
i see he is attaching a dog to a pole
i aproach slowly as i have a chocolate bar in my hand and the sidewalk is narrow
waiting for his action pausing then will take mine

i see in a flash that the dog has a muzzle
is a white pit bull
but that the dog is also smiling and wagging his tail

for some reason how the man jerks upright after fixing his dog
for some reason feeling nervous, old fears dying slow, and
having my spider sences tingle i jump.

the man makes a muffled remark, unclear but a negative
and i stop and look at the man square in his face
eye to eye

he says this reaction is the worst
dogs can sense this
it makes them aggressive

why do you do that?

because he is wearing a muzzle..?
unsure myself
knowing i still have dog prejudice
knowing that this owner has this dog
because he wants to intimidate
knowing this because the man now
and not the dog is intimidating
saying to me
people like you are the reason people lose good dogs

if you wanted a dog people wouldn't be afraid of
perhaps a chihuahua might be a better choice

in a demonstration with the arms surveying his being
says why because i am a black man

no idea about this correlation but i start to think about
my dog prejudice, prejudice in general, this mans prejudice
unlistening, un-understanding

let me tell you something
says my petite 5' to his 6'
moving closer voice low eyes engaged
(because i know it is the small animals like me that are made truly tough)
i used to cross the road when i saw a tiny dog
now i have a dog..
but he is unlistening
sees someone and asks me to wait turning his back
as if i will wait for further misconceptions and insults
and arrogance

now i understand my hesitation
my waiting for agression
and it came
not from the dog
that continued to wag his tail
but from this man
who doesn't know me
at all.

dogs i know

owen my little scruffy mix

spot my childhood dog

lulu one of owen's best chums, a golden doodle that is black and looks like a plush when her hair is cut short
morgan another of owens good wrestling mates a white lab
aimee a spunky little terrier
guiness a dignified bigger terrier
rudy a somewhat ruder but very cute terrier
bo short for boreal (cause he was found in that kind of forest) a black smart fellow, long leggedy beasty
abner a short weener dog with long hair think lil'l abner
celia a gorgeous bull mastive
baily a bernese doodle just a wee four month pup
rumble a shaggy dog with very human eyes
budgie another of owen's good chums a tiny little teeny white fluff ball of a dog
masie a mini schanauzer that is a little bit of a nervous girl
kali a beautiful affectionate chocolate brown lab
kamil lives with kali and is a lovely yellow lab boy
joey a rescue with a squirrely tail and a heart of gold
toby a big black dog with a bark like barry white a gentle giant
koochee an older girl big warm brown with excellent wisdom and vibe
milou lives with koochee as does hamish see next a furry little plump bundle of joy
hamish an older gentle man of scottish decent
wendle a furry golden colured young lad
kane a blood hound from the south
lucky a wheaten terrier with very kind eyes
figo a wonderful mix of terrier and pug that can read your mind
madison an older girl that enjoys watching the action
claire a feisty smaller girl with a big watch dog persona
chester part couch part lab a sweet brown dog that will win you over
pipper a high spirited lass
bart friend to benji morkie
benji friend to bart morkie
masie owen's corgie girlfriend
kane bull mastive, king corso mix very large and totally sweet
frosty a high spirited lab pup
ginger and molly imports from ireland part jack part terrier 100% crazy good puppies
sylvie lives with molly and ginger a wirery bouvier mix that is so smart it hurts
max a new ball of fuff
jake a huge ball of fluff that started small think large muppet
taz i love taz and one day wish to kidnap him but i never will he is a long haired dashund
dante black lab wanders very sweet

this list is not complete, many dogs i don't know on a first name basis

oh did i mention i used to be completly afraid of dogs, so scared i would freeze or i would have to cross the road well in advance....it is never too late to dispel a fear thinks me...

happily i have gone to the dogs!

woof

pouch little red

pouch little red, originally uploaded by Kim's Suitcase.

pouch little red inside

pouch little red inside, originally uploaded by Kim's Suitcase.

true love

underneath the earth
a couple hold hands
waiting for the train
that will separate them

she will board it
in her air of contentment
as he watches from the platform
full

i watch them, feel the radiation
of the two

unaware of me or anyone else
i spy and bathe in their afterglow

every so often they take it in turn
to initiate the most gentle and complete
hugs and caresses
nothing going to far for public affection
just making the world more lovely
for the ripples that extend far beyond just them

today's story

pillow tree walker detail, originally uploaded by Kim's Suitcase.

a tall thin man and his dog run beeline across the park
thoughts enter like this
some kinda maniac
cute dog, funny hair cut- i like him

later that same morning after the man with purpose disappears
he and his hound reappear along a path, by the train tracks

the man says to me " i just said hello to my wife on the train"
i say " oh that is so nice"
he says " it was at 70mph, i will phone her now and see if she saw me"

down the path i one way he the other
i hear him tell another
"i just said hellow to my wife on the train"

concrete stairs draw both owen and i down
and in a little grassy nook with home style benches and flowering shrubs, i am drawn further by a little plaque that says
"to wally and enid" something or rather
for spearheading the ashdale parkette

we walk home
cosmos
sunflowers
a lady with heavy grocery
a house with an add on house behind it

a lady with a dog another without her dog
that wishes to tell me all about her

all this delivering forgotten eggs
in soft light
rain drips, too small to be called drops
and upstairs
to tip tap these words
for today's story...

i hope you have enjoyed it.

xo

doctor strange lump

it's on my leg
a dog at 40mph
a lulu
ran into my shin
and after i lifted my pant leg
i thought of harry potter and his quidditch accidents

holiday monday
stalled
napping at odd times
eatting odd food
wanting to
but not

somethimes the sparks don't
and i am plugged
so rarely that i forget this feeling
sometimes it comes after odd odd dreaming
after eating too close to bed time

in my dreams
things are not what they seem
a hidden history
rubble
and cultish sacrifice and the strangest strange feeling
i wake more tirered having explored this basement
one i didn't know i had
feelings of distrust and shifting sands